This invention relates to trackways for toy vehicles and, particularly, to a trackway for toy vehicles which includes a plurality of track sections placeable end-to-end to define a roadbed on the upper surfaces thereof extending lengthwise along the top of the trackway.
Trackways or roadbeds for toy vehicles have been provided for a considerable period of time for model trains, racing sets, or the like. Various means have been provided for connecting a plurality of track sections end-to-end so as to facilitate storage and shipping and yet provide a trackway of considerable length when assembled for use. One common expedient for connecting the track sections together end-to-end has been a simple telescopic connection whereby protruding rod-like stub shafts on the ends of certain track sections were insertable telescopically into tubular recesses of adjacent track sections. However, no means was provided to prevent the track sections from inadvertently becoming disengaged. One attempt to avoid inadvertent longitudinal displacement of the track sections has been to provide separate connecting members which, when positioned at the joint of adjacent track sections, engage the adjacent sections and held the same against longitudinal movement. In this instance, the track section had to be placed in longitudinal abutment and alignment and held in such alignment while the connecting members were placed in position. Yet further attempts at providing connecting means for such track sections while hold the track sections against longitudinal displacement have included providing enlarged ball or head-type members positionable in a vertical direction into receptacles in adjacent track sections.
The present invention is directed to providing a new and improved connecting means for the track sections which provide the roadbed for a trackway for toy vehicles or the like.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, each track section has a flexible arm protruding lengthwise from one track section at the outer side edge thereof and having a recess on the inside of the flexible arm for receiving a boss protruding laterally outwardly from the adjacent outside edge of an adjacent track section. Each track section has a flexible arm and rigid boss on the outside edges at each end thereof and so disposed that either end of one track section can be connected to either end of another track section. With the above described construction, two adjacent track sections need only be pushed together end-to-end in abutting engagement so as to connect the pg,3 track sections together end-to-end and holding the track sections against inadvertent longitudinal separation. In order to separate the track sections, the flexible arms simply are moved manually outwardly from the track sections to move the recess on the inside of the arm away from the rigid boss of the adjacent track section where the track sections can be separated. Various features, such as abutting surfaces on the flexible arms and the adjacent track sections, as well as longitudinally protruding tabs and recesses at adjacent ends of adjacent track sections prevent the track sections from being canted about the transverse joint between the sections.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.